Here’s how much we’ve paid in traffic violations so far this year

It’s a sentiment that we truly believe in, especially when it comes to traffic laws. We believe no one should be immune to enforcement and due punishment—including us. We really do mean it when we say there is no excuse.

This year alone (we’re nearing the end of the first quarter at the time of writing), there have been two instances in which Top Gear PH staff members were caught breaking the law while on the road. One involved using a mobile phone while driving, and the other was a classic case of parking in the wrong place.

In my case, I instinctively changed songs on Spotify while the handbrake was pulled up. That cost me P5,000 under the Anti-Distracted Driving Act. Even if the car wasn’t moving, my action was inexcusable. Our editor-in-chief, meanwhile, was caught parking in a Mabuhay Lane. Though he was in the car with the hazards on when the enforcers circled him, he was still issued a P2,150 fine. The fine was originally meant to be just P1,000, but he was forced to pay extra for obstruction and failure to surrender his license.

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P7,150. Ouch. Steep price to pay, but the lesson here is invaluable. Follow the rules or pay the price. And don’t bother arguing with the enforcer when you know you’ve done wrong.